


Unsteady

by propertyofpoeandbucky



Series: Bucky Barnes Oneshots [58]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Screaming, mentions of divorce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29724006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/propertyofpoeandbucky/pseuds/propertyofpoeandbucky
Summary: Yours and Bucky’s son witnesses the downfall of your marriage. For @violentlybarnes ‘s 3k Celebration!
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes & You, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/You
Series: Bucky Barnes Oneshots [58]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2180304
Kudos: 6





	Unsteady

The house was shaking, vibrating by the sounds of the screams downstairs. 7 year old Steven James Barnes hid under the blankets in his room cuddling his Bucky Bear, a gag gift from his Uncle Sam, but one he adored very much. Even through his thick blankets, he can still hear his parents shouting.

“What do you want me to do, Y/N?! When Steve needs my help, I help!”

“You’re hardly here anymore, Bucky! You’re missing out on our son’s life! You’ve missed recitals, games, parties! When will it end?!”

“Well, fuck me, right?! Because I choose to help save the world so my family and I could live a better life?! So Stevie could live a better life?!”

Stevie’s sobs were muffled by his covers. This has been happening a lot lately. His dad’s always going on missions now. He’s never home. Bucky ends up leaving Stevie and his mom sad and lonely. He just wished everything was back how it was. Picnics in the park, his mom pushing him on the swings while his dad took pictures. 

Everything was off-balanced. Unsteady. 

Little Stevie listened in. He realized that the yelling had stopped. Then there was a slam at the door. One of his parents had stomped off. He heard the car roar to life outside and speed away, the tires screeching against the pavement. 

He waited.

Three knocks and his bedroom door creaked open, “Sweetie?” Stevie tried to wipe away the snots and tears as his mother neared. The covers slipped off him and his mother’s heart broke at the sight, “I’m sorry you had to hear that, Stevie.”

Little Stevie shrugged, “I’m used to it.”

His mother shook his head, “You shouldn’t be used to this. This isn’t the environment a child should be raised in.”

The seven year old looked up at his mother, “What do you mean?”

His mother sighed, “Daddy and I, well, we’re thinking about splitting up.”

“Like breaking up?” he asked in a mousy voice.

She nodded, “Yeah. Things just-they’re not the same anymore.”

“Do you still love daddy?”

“I don’t know,” she mumbled.

* * *

Bucky didn’t come back until the morning. He drove to Steve’s place and ranted to him until he was exhausted. He slept on the couch and once the sun was in the sky, he left.

He thought about his options on the way back home. Things weren’t the same anymore. He and his wife were so happy once. It all worked out somehow, their love, their relationship, and the life he lead. Until it didn’t work anymore. 

He thought about Stevie, how hard this must be to see. The people who brought him to life out of so much love for each other, were falling apart. That love seemed to be replaced with so much frustration, anger, and sadness. It shouldn’t be like this. It can’t be like this. 

When Bucky arrived home, Y/N was sitting at the kitchen table nursing a cup of now cold tea. Dark circles sat under her red eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” he mustered out.

“I am too,” she mumbled, “But this isn’t working. Not anymore.”

Bucky sat down beside her and rested his arms on the table, “What do you want to do? Divorce?”

She shrugged, “I don’t know. As frustrated as I am with you…I still love you. I feel like I shouldn’t, but I do. We’ve gone through so much, Buck.”

“I know, I feel the same. But this isn’t healthy for us or for Steven.”

She sighed and ran a hand through her unkempt hair, “We should probably separate for a period of time. You stay here with Stevie and I’ll go find a place to-”

Bucky shook his head, “No. You stay here. I’ll stay somewhere else. Maybe Steve’s or something. But Stevie needs you. You’re his mom.”

Y/N looked up to Bucky with teary eyes, “And you’re his dad.”

He shook his head again and set his hand on top of Y/N’s, “You’re staying here with Stevie. Okay?” Y/N nodded and Bucky sighed, “I know how it looks: me constantly leaving you and Stevie behind. But I’m doing this for us. I’m fighting every single threat out there to ensure that you guys are safe. That Stevie could grow up with no HYDRA or alien race to worry about. And for you and I to grow old together like we promised when we got married.”

Two hours later, Stevie woke up and came to the kitchen. He saw his mom and dad speaking to each other. He rubbed his eyes and murmured, “Daddy?”

Both heads turned to face their son. Bucky came over and knelt in front of him, “Hey, buddy. You sleep alright?” Stevie shrugged and Bucky picked him up in his arms, “Mommy and I wanna talk to you about something.”

The seven year old looked to his mom and then his dad, “What?”

“Daddy and I are gonna be apart for a while.”

“We still love each other, but we’re just having problems.”

Stevie looked back and forth to his mom and dad, “For how long?”

Bucky shrugged, “We don’t know, buddy. But you’re gonna stay here with mommy, okay? I’m gonna stay with Uncle Steve.”

Stevie played with the collar of Bucky’s shirt, “Will you still pick me up from school?”

He nodded, “Yeah, Stevie. Whenever I can. But you’re okay with this?”

Stevie shrugged, “You and mommy wanna make things better, right?”

You spoke up, “Yeah, honey. This is why we’re doing this.”

“Okay. This is okay. I wanna be a family again.” he hugged his dad and Bucky hugged him back. You then went over to them and hugged the two. This was going to be rough, but this is what you have to do to make things right.


End file.
